Switch will be faced renewed competition in 2020. Sony and Microsoft both have brand new consoles coming in the form of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and developers will naturally be flocking to those platforms. However, one Switch developer believes that Nintendo’s console won’t be left behind.
In an interview with Nintendo Everything, Engine Software VP of development Ruud van de Moosdijk said Switch “exists in its own dimension of the market and will continue to do well”. The console’s “uniqueness” also means that power isn’t overly crucial.
“In my opinion the Nintendo Switch, like the Wii before, exists in its own dimension of the market and will continue to do well even when the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are released. As so many times before Nintendo’s consoles have just their own uniqueness that doesn’t depend on having the fastest processor or the largest memory. That’s why I always have to smile when I hear someone say Nintendo is done.”
Engine Software has ported several games to Switch, including Ni no Kuni and Into the Breach. Ruud van de Moosdijk had praise for Nintendo as the company did “a fantastic job” in terms of offering the proper tools and development environment “even before the system was available.” “We have come a long way from the time where you got a circuit board with a cable and a manual in Japanese if you wanted to develop for console,” he said.
Look for our full interview with Engine Software soon.
xQaLu on January 18th, 2020 at 10:21 UTC »
Portability is definitely big selling point.
big_duck_energy on January 18th, 2020 at 09:33 UTC »
Nintendo's strategy isn't to directly compete with Sony and MS anymore, and it hasn't been that for a while now. They want to be a product that you'll buy regardless if whether or not you already own another platform.
Almost half of all Switch owners own another console or PC. They've made great strides in that direction through hardware innovation, world-class first party IPs, and by keeping the prices down.
I'm not wording this well, but I think they want potential buyers to stop thinking "should I get a PlayStation or a Switch?" and start just thinking "should I get a Switch?" without other platforms even being part of that decision, because the Nintendo platform is in a category of its own.
powermad80 on January 18th, 2020 at 06:19 UTC »
I mean it's kind of obvious. Switch already doesn't occupy the same space as the PS4/XBone, so it'll stay that way when their successors launch.